Tuesday, February 3, 2015

When you think who are the really good guys in politics... Dick Richards' name immediately comes to mind. Dick was one in whom you could trust. He was honest, ethical, and personable. Of course he was a great political mind as well. Dick didn't brag, he didn't grandstand, and as he used to describe a very few others in politics, he was a "workhorse" not a "show horse". He was very kind to a very young and green State Chairman; I learned a lot from him, mostly just observing him.

We who knew him will miss him. Those of you who didn't know him, take the time to read about him below. And know, he was one of the really good guys in politics...

Bruce R. Hough

National Committeeman, Utah

Obituary

RICHARD (Dick) RICHARDS
May 14, 1932 – Jan 30, 2015

Dick has fought the good fight, and is ready for new experiences. The second of nine children, he was born at the Old Dee Hospital, in Ogden, Utah, to Blaine Boyden and Violet Geneva Williams Richards on May 14, 1932. He came to earth with remarkable talents that would give him remarkable opportunities. He graduated from Weber High School in 1950, and attended Weber Junior College in 1951 until he was drafted into the Army during the Korean War. He met his wife, Annette Bott, while attending Weber College. They were married January 15, 1954 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. He attended Officer's Candidate School at Fort Benning, Georgia; followed by a tour of duty in Japan as a 2nd Lieutenant.

Following his three years in the service, he worked for his dad as a sign painter while attending the University of Utah Law School, graduating in 1961. He practiced law in Ogden for twenty years, but his primary interest was politics. He had a unique sense about the political scene and it served him well. He started out at the grass roots level and served as Utah Young Republican Chairman while he was still in Law School. While practicing law, he worked on a number of congressional campaigns for Douglas Stringfellow, Henry Aldous Dixon, and Laurence Burton, Congressmen from the First District. He had a keen organizational mind that took him to Washington D.C. as both a Legislative, and then as an Administrative Assistant to Congressman Burton for two years. In his return to Utah he served two terms as Utah Republican Chairman.

Because of the success the Republican Party experienced in Utah while he was Chairman, he was invited to join the Republican National Committee as Political Director under Chairman Rogers Morton. He worked on both of Richard Nixon's campaigns; overseeing the entire Western States region with the exception of Texas and California. In 1975, he served a third term as Utah Republican Chairman, while serving on Ronald Reagan's committee during his initial run for the presidency in 1976. He continued working on the committee in preparation for Reagan's campaign in 1979-80. Extremely knowledgeable of the Western States politically, he headed up the campaign in the Western States, including California, helping to improve the Reagan campaign organization.

With the election of Ronald Reagan as President of the United States, he was asked to serve as Republican National Chairman, serving faithfully from 1980-1982. He was a Senior Advisor in President George H.W. Bush's campaigns.

As an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served in many callings: including Teacher, High Councilman and as Bishop of the McLean, Virginia First Ward. In 1995, as a former Republican National Chairman, he was given a special Church assignment to travel throughout Australia and New Zealand, co-sponsored by the National Press Clubs of both countries and the LDS Church. There was a great interest in the U.S. political arena, but it was important to introduce the Church's "Family Proclamation" to the leaders and people of these nations. It was a successful tour and it was reported that the proclamation had been accepted and was being used. Dick and his wife also served as full-time missionaries for the Church in the Rochester New York Mission from 2000-2002.
Twenty-eight years ago, he developed some serious heart problems, yet it never stopped him from doing what he felt he needed to do. He had many open-heart surgeries over the years, but he survived because of a strong will to live, an amazing heart, and the excellent medical care he received.

Dick served on the Board of Trustees, as Chairman of the board at Weber State University, and established "The Richard Richards Institute on Ethics." Each year, scholarships are presented to senior high school students chosen from high schools in Weber, Davis, Morgan and Box Elder Counties for writing the best essays on Ethics. His concern for others and the ability to help when it was needed, were two of his greatest qualities. He never turned down anyone who needed help. Often they had problems no one else had been able to solve. He will be sorely missed.

He is survived by his wife Annette, five children, Julie Dockter (Gary), Richard A. Richards (Rita), Jan Stevenson (Tom), Amy Hartvigsen (Darren), Brian Lee Richards, one granddaughter, ten grandsons; with the seventh serving an LDS mission in Chile; fifteen great grandchildren, his brother James (Maurine), sisters, Jackie Palmer (Darrell), Diane Dillingham, Joan Richards, Michele Richards, Rachel Richards, Sally Garner (Bryce), and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister Louise.

We wish to thank "Hospice for Utah" for their wonderful supportive care; and for the excellent care he has received from his doctors; Dr. Michael Diehl, Dr. Richard Hall, and Dr. Peter Forstall. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the "Richard Richards Institute of Ethics" at Weber State University.

Viewings will be held Friday, February 6th, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Myers Mortuary, 845 Washington Blvd., in Ogden, UT and prior to services at the church from 9:30-10:30am

Services will be held Saturday, February 7th at 11 a.m. at The Burch Creek 3rd Ward, 5161 S. 1300 E., South Ogden, UT.

Interment will be at Washington Heights Memorial Park.

- See more at: http://www.myers-mortuary.com/obituary/Richard-Dick-Richards/South-Ogden-UT/1476613#sthash.mYmPXYuw.dpuf

Sunday, April 20, 2014

(Note: to those friends of mine who are not Christian, I hope you have enjoyed your traditions, religious or otherwise, at this time of year. Though our religious beliefs may differ, our friendship may endure under the God who made us all. My best wishes to you and your families during this season of spring and new life.)

I love this video clip http://easter.mormon.org/?cid=HPTU041514694 about the significance of the Life, Atonement, and Resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ. I hope you enjoy it. I've also repeated my personal testimony of the Jesus the Christ below.

In this season of rebirth and renewal, as buds reappear on the trees after a long winter, and the blades of grass green, and the plants push through the once frozen soil, we are reminded of He who was dead and yet now lives, even Jesus Christ. But this wondrous event of the resurrection was necessarily preceded by the sacrifice of our Redeemer and as the hymn reflects my own thoughts,

"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,

Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was crucified,

that for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne divine

To RESCUE a soul so rebellious and proud as mine,

that he should extend his great love unto such as I,

Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt:

such mercy, such love, and devotion can I forget?

No, no, I iwll praise and adore at the mercy seat,

Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me Enough to die for me!

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to me!"

(Charles H. Gabriel 1856-1932)

Know that the promise of the Atonement, begun in Gethsemane and culminating on Golgotha, is for us all, if we will but repent of our transgressions and accept Christ's redeeming power. Christ has felt every pain, every anguish, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.

It is Christ's suffering that satisfies the law of justice that all sins must be punished, and through his mercy, grace and love, he tempers that law for each of us. How unloving would we be if we allow Him to have suffered on our behalf, having already paid the price, and we do nothing? All he asks, is that we love Him and love our neighbor, and we do that by obeying His word and abandoning sin. By doing so we show our love for all He has done for us and we make effective in our lives His Atonement. This is the road to Eternal Life.

And now on this Easter day we celebrate the gift given to all mankind by the Savior. The Resurrection; the promise that all will live again with a body perfected and immortal.

Knowing that Christ lives is my testimony. And more, He has provided a way back to live with him and our Father in Heaven through His atoning sacrifice, for which "I Stand All Amazed!"

This hymn summarizes well my testimony:

"I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives! He lives, he lives, who once was dead. He lives, my ever living Head. He lives to bless me with his love. he lives to plead for me above. He lives my hungry soul to feed. He lives to bless in time of need.

He lives to grant me rich supply. He lives to guide me with his eye. He lives to comfort me when faint. He lives to hear my soul's complaint. He lives to silence all my fears. He lives to wipe away my tears. He lives to calm my troubled heart. he lives all blessings to impart.

He lives, my kind, wise heavenly Friend. He lives and loves me to the end. He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing. He lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King. He lives and grants me daily breath. He lives, and I shall conquer death. He lives my mansion to prepare. He lives to bring me safely there

.

He lives! All glory to his name! He lives, my Savior, still the same. Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: "I know that my Redeemer lives!" He lives! All glory to his name! He lives, my Savior, still the same. Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: "I know that my Redeemer lives!"

(Text: Samuel Medley, 1738-1799; Music: Lewis D. Edwards, 1858-1921)

May God bless you, your family and friends. And, may we be worthy to receive His blessings.

Monday, April 14, 2014

My good friend David Bradford has a fun blog (David Bradford's Blog ) that he uses to apply lessons from life into a business setting... he was a little generous to assign any worthwhile meaning to the recent movie Noah. So, I commented on his blog and thought I would share it with you here.

My wife had high expectations for the movie Noah. Me, less so. It isn't often that I am impressed with the tone and message of Hollywood's interpretation of the spiritual. And for those attempting to create a "true" account of the biblical scriptures, the art usually tends to be lacking; Ben Hur not withstanding!

One of the business lessons to be learned from Noah is, don't assume that the other guy believes the same things you believe. In business, you may be an ethical, moral capitalist, but the other guy may have no such compass to follow and may be dedicated to a win-lose proposition.

The problem is, in business one is more inclined to conduct due diligence in these matters, in movie going... let's face it, we're there for an escape, buttered popcorn, and a diet coke...

The most redeeming moment of the movie was Emma Watson's character (who is clearly smarter than Russell Crowe's Noah) who lectured Noah that his "failure" was exactly who God knew him to be, one who would not take the innocent lives of babies. Oh, and I did quite like the depiction of the Ark... seemed pretty sound to me.

Other than that, it wasn't that good of a movie. Domestic box office was great the first week, and then word of mouth probably brought it down. This is a movie that has been "redeemed" financially by its international release... the all-star cast certainly gave it legs overseas.

Take the time to read the link from Dr. Brian Mattson above. Very interesting essay on the movie and its source material.

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Celebrating
the holidays are always special for me because it signals a time when my family
gathers together in a spirit of love and service. During this time, many
of my friends have celebrated Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of
Lights, in commemoration of the rededication of the Holy Temple. For me
and my family, we celebrate the Birth
of our Savior, Jesus Christ. But I love the idea
of rededication.

This is a wonderful time for all of us to rededicate ourselves to serving God,
serving our neighbors, friends, and family; and especially serving those who
are less fortunate than we are.

It is also a time to rededicate ourselves
to being engaged in good causes to better our community, state, nation and the
world we live in. Many people criticize the political process, and there
is often much to criticize. But I hope as the new year emerges we will be
invigorated to make a difference by choosing to be involved and by supporting
those who share our convictions and beliefs.

The phrase, "And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” has in the last two centuries been retranslated as " “[O]n earthpeace to men of good will.” This interpretation makes a good case for being men (and women) of good will. By acting out of good will towards others we will find peace in our lives as a blessing from God. Peace may be one of God's most precious gifts. May we act out of good will towards others, whether we agree or disagree with them.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

I'm not the only who gets the Apple Fail and Obamacare Fail Analogy. This mornings NASDAQ Briefing had this commentary attached... Note that Apple spent $150,000,000 to develop the iPhone and the Federal Government is up to over $600,000,000 to setup a website to connect to insurance companies... Do you understand why it is a bad idea to continue to rely on the Federal Government to do things best left to the private sector?

Why Government Tech Is So Bad

Just before
Healthcare.gov hobbled online, Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of health and human
services, compared the federal health-care exchange to her iPad's new operating
system.

If users
found a few bugs in their iPads, she argued, most wouldn't consider them a
complete disaster. Instead, they'd recognize that technology is complicated,
that errors are common, and they'd wait for an update. Apple Inc., she added,
has "a few more resources" than her department, so "hopefully
[citizens will] give us the same slack they give Apple."

That
argument is as clueless as it is misleading. While it's true that Apple is
fantastically wealthy, its product-development costs aren't necessarily greater
than those of the federal government. As Fred Vogelstein reports in his coming
book, Apple spent about $150 million developing the iPhone. The
health-insurance exchange--which, let's remember, is merely a website meant to
connect citizens to insurance companies, something quite a bit less complex
than Apple's groundbreaking miniature computer--so far has cost at least $360
million, and possibly as much as $600 million.

So how can
the government spend so much more on technology and not get anywhere near equal
results? That gets to the larger problem with Ms. Sebelius's iPad argument:
When Apple royally screws up, the world doesn't cut it any "slack,"
and that's a good thing. Note what happened last fall, when Apple replaced
Google Inc.'s maps app with its own half-baked version: iPhone users rebelled,
the tech press went ape and, within a few days, Chief Executive Tim Cook
apologized and eventually fired the company's mobile-software chief.

In consumer
tech, performance matters. When things go wrong, customers balk, investors
flee, and heads roll. In the government, despite several attempts at reform,
few of these consequences seem to apply.

Isn't it
time that changed? Healthcare.gov--which has been described as a failure by
many experts, including supporters of the health law--is only the latest in a
series of faulty, overpriced governmental tech launches during administrations
of both parties.

It doesn't
have to be this way. There's nothing inherent about the phrase "government
technology" that should inspire a parade of incompetence; the tech needs
of the feds don't have to be vastly more complicated, expensive or legally
daunting than the rest of the world's. Instead, the problem is a lack of
accountability. As Ms. Sebelius's comments underscore, there's an expectation,
bolstered by the historical record, that the government can't do tech well, so
we're all expected to forgive its glaring shortcomings.

The truth
is that the government could revamp its tech house. For less money than we
currently spend on IT, and with a smidgen of political will, we could remake
the nation's IT infrastructure using off-the-shelf hardware and software and
the best tech practices employed by the world's most admired tech companies. If
we do so, dealing with the government--whether for health care, contracting,
taxes, or for anything else--could really be as painless as buying a book from
Amazon.

Though
everything in Washington is partisan these days, this thing doesn't have to be.
Both Democrats and Republicans ought to be able to get on board with tech
reform; it would improve how we all interact with the government and make the
whole system more efficient and affordable.

Tech
companies, too, should fight for a new way. Today a small number of insiders
are awarded the bulk of federal IT contracts. Reforming the way the government
buys and uses tech would open up a vast market to companies such as Apple,
Google, Amazon.com Inc., a host of upstarts that are currently revolutionizing
every other corner of economic life.

When you
examine the follies at the heart of Healthcare.gov, two important factors stand
out, experts say. The first is personnel--like many government IT projects,
this was implemented by people who don't understand IT. "There's a lack of
technology leadership at the agency level, leading to an inability to
execute," said Vivek Kundra, who was appointed the nation's first chief
information officer by President Barack Obama in 2009 and who is now an
executive at the cloud-services company Salesforce.com Inc.

Mr. Kundra
said that when he was the nation's CIO, the White House pushed a "cloud-first
policy" that encouraged government agencies to avoid creating new server
farms every time they had to build new websites, which is how the rest of the
world works with tech. "It seems like with Healthcare.gov, a set of
decisions were made at the agency level that aren't in line with how modern
technology is deployed," Mr. Kundra said.

Why would
the government implement the sort of tech infrastructure that no one else would
consider? The answer is the mother all problems in government tech:
"procurement." That's jargon for the broken process by which the
government buys things.

Today, any
company looking to work with the government must navigate an obstacle course of
niggling, outdated regulations and arbitrary-seeming requirements. For
instance, your technology must be Y2K-compliant just to get in the door. The
process locks out all but a tiny handful of full-time contractors--companies
who also happen to be big federal lobbyists. (Note how CGI Group Inc., which
won the largest contract to build Healthcare.gov, lobbied on behalf of the
health-care law.)

Clay
Johnson, a former Presidential Innovation Scholar and the CEO of a
reform-minded software company called Department of Better Technology, has
written a seven-part manifesto on how to fix procurement, a prescription he
says would go far in resolving most of the government's tech issues. His
upshot: The government should strive to buy tech like the rest of the world
does, opening itself up to vastly more vendors, and aligning price with
performance. Logistically, none of the steps he outlines would be very
difficult to accomplish. It would just require a full-court press from
political leaders to make it happen.

These days,
that sounds like reason enough for pessimism, though Mr. Johnson argues that
government's tech issues are on the verge of reaching a tipping point that will
force action.

"Long
term, the government is not able to survive if it keeps using outdated
technology, because the gap between last year's technology and this year's
technology is always exponentially growing," he said. "You walk into
the DMV and the person behind the desk has a CRT monitor and you have an
iPhone--that leads to a gap to the perception of confidence. We need to fix
that if we want the government to maintain some semblance of confidence, and
competence."

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

In the article below, RNC Chairman Reince Priebus quotes the Washington Post suggesting that if Apple Computer had the kind of failure on a new product roll out that Obamacare has had, that heads would roll.

The reality is,
Apple did launch a major new product that functioned badly… the Apple Map
program which was a dismal failure at launch. Apple did two things
correctly that we should take a lesson from. First, CEO Tim Cook
immediately apologized for the flawed program and recommended
other map programs for their customers to use;
and second, they fired the executive and team that was in charge of
this colossal failure. Such a novel idea, serving the best
interests of their customers by recommending other programs until
they had fixed theirs.

The difference is, Apple will figure it out. They have a track record of innovation and performance. The Federal Government has a record of performance too... Unfortunately, we just keep ignoring it.

The analogy between Apple Maps and the Federal Government's roll-out of Obamacare is astounding. The
problem is big government thinkers simply don’t get it.

“If Apple launched a major
new product that functioned as badly as ObamaCare’s online insurance
marketplace, the tech world would be calling for [CEO] Tim Cook’s head.”

That searing
indictment of Obamacare didn’t come from a conservative. Those were the words
of the Washington Post’s Ezra Klein — yes, liberal Ezra Klein —and Evan Soltas
in a blog poston
Oct. 4, just three days after the online Obamacare marketplace opened. They
were right.

Now, two
full weeks since its launch, the website healthcare.gov still isn’t
functioning. One CNN reporter began trying to sign up on Oct. 1. As of the
morning of Oct. 14, she stillhadn’t been ableto. A researcher who works for theNew
York Timeshas
tried and failed to sign up for Obamacare 40 times since the website launched.
But the Obama administration continues making excuses for Health and Human
Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the people who spent hundreds of
millions of taxpayer dollars on a site that does not work.

How much
more money will her department waste — and how much time will Americans waste
on the website — before the administration admits they have a problem? In a
business, someone would be held accountable for such a large-scale disaster.

When pressed
on her failures, Sebelius repeats her favorite line: “We had some early
glitches.” A glitch, says Merriam-Webster, is “temporary” and “minor.” For two
weeks, the Obamacare website has hardly functioned. That’s not minor or
temporary. That’s not a glitch; that’s a systemic failure.

HHS had over
three years to build the system, and the launch date still caught them entirely
off guard—though not for a lack of warning signs.

TheNew
York Times— yes, the
liberalNew York Times—documentedthe
many red flags.

ObamaCare’s
“chief digital architect” worried the site would be a “third-world experience.”
The firm contracted to build the site didn’t start writing code until this past
spring. “As late as the last week of September, officials were still changing
features of the Web site,” reports the Times. Back in February one insurance
executive said he foresaw “a train wreck.” He was right.

It’s bad
enough that Sebelius and company produced a terrible taxpayer-funded product.
It’s even worse that they didn’t heed the warnings or spot the red flags. They
put on a smile, flipped the switch, and sat by as it crashed.

Now there is
a very simple way that the Obama administration could prove their critics wrong
— a way to back up their claim that this really is all about a few “glitches”
and that the site has worked for people. They could release the number of
Americans who have enrolled for coverage. But they won’t, saying they don’t
know the numbers yet and will only report them monthly.

Think about
that for a second. This is not an administration that misses an opportunity to
brag. They’ve even leaked sensitive national security information to burnish
their image. They could release the numbers if they wanted. The truth, most
likely, is that the numbers would prove their many critics right.

Then again,
maybe they did such a terrible job building the system that it’s impossible
even to do something as simple as count enrollees.

The website
is only part of the Obamacare story. The law continues to wreck the economy and
endanger the healthcare of Americans. More and more families who already have
insurance are now receiving the kind of letters that many Americans dread. They’re
being dropped from their current plan.

Writing forUS
News and WorldReport, Peter Roffsharedan
excerpt of the letter he received from his insurance company.

“Among other
things, these (Affordable Care Act) requirements will cause your benefits to
change to include federally-mandated Essential Health Benefits. Since your
current benefit plan does not conform to these new mandates, your current
health plan will cease upon your anniversary date,” it said.

Again and
again and again, President Obama promised that if you like your plan you could
keep it. He lied.

And now what
are these families without insurance supposed to do?

Find a new
plan on the exchanges.

What a train
wreck. Even former Obama press secretary Robert Gibbssays, “This was bungled badly,” adding “I hope they fire some
people that were in charge of making sure this thing was supposed to work.”

Thursday, October 3, 2013

It is hard to comprehend that the Senate Majority Leader, Harry Reid and an MSNBC Reporter, Thomas Roberts could be so clueless about how our Constitutional Republic is supposed to work.First, Reid asks what give the House the right to "pick and choose" what they will fund. Really? That is EXACTLY what the House is SUPPOSED TO DO! They are finally doing it, rather than passing huge omnibus bills while most members hold their nose at the inane projects, pork barrel, and unnecessary "necessities" included within. Click the link to see Harry make the point on why Washington just doesn't get it.http://www.cnn.com/video/data/2.0/video/bestoftv/2013/10/02/exp-bash-reid.cnn.htmlI love that the congress is finally passing funding on a "piecemeal" basis. That means they KNOW what they are passing out of the house! Senator Reid you asked, "What gives them the right...?" Well, to help you out, see what the constitution says about who has the right.This is what the Constitution defines as the "power of the purse".“All Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives; but the Senate may propose or concur with amendments as on other Bills.”— U.S. Constitution, Article I, section 7, clause 1

“No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law; and a regular Statement and Account of the Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.”— U.S. Constitution, Article I, section 9, clause 7You know, that "balance of power" thing... Oh wait, Thomas Roberts thinks that electing the president means there is a "mandate" for whatever he wants and Congress should just rubber stamp his agenda... because after all they are only "1/3 of the power in Washington". Guess what, we don't care about the power in Washington, we care about our congressmen and senators doing what we elected them to do and for them to fulfill, uphold, and not abuse their constitutional responsibilities...Good grief... Roberts can't even make a decent argument reading the White House talking points... GOP Chairman Reince Priebus utterly destroyed Roberts' logic on "majority rules"! I recommend that Roberts watch this exchange, apologize to Priebus and take a personal oath to go back and study Journalism before ever conducting another interview. Hmmm, maybe he is just doing what he was taught... I wonder what liberal University taught him how to do his job. (remember, he wasn't specifically opining or editorializing which would have carried some kind of disclaimer, he was purportedly "reporting" the news and doing a news interview.)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wenqLxjgqE4&feature=youtu.be

All in all, I hope the Congress continues to piece meal funding legislation, until as Harry Reid as properly concluded, "only Obamacare is unfunded!"

Monday, August 19, 2013

I just returned from a couple of days in Boston for the Republican National Committee summer meetings. Thematically, we are looking ahead to 2014 and 2016 and are choosing not, as Governor Christy colorfully declared, "looking at our navels". We do not need to litigate over and over why we lost in 2016 (though there are a lot of people who voted Democrat who are asking themselves how they got snookered into that last year...), but we do need to learn from the past and not repeat the mistakes that were made.

Mostly, we have learned that you cannot run an 8 month campaign and expect to win. We have entered the era of the perpetual campaign. And with that realization the RNC is doing all of the right things to produce better results. One of those things is to not be the media's punching bag... the time of "Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel” are gone. Because today, ink is free. At least the written word now available universally through the internet, is free... and it is now a companion, if not a replacement for the traditional mainstream media, especially newspapers. Do you think for minute that Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com fame will follow anything even remotely traditional with his purchase of the Washington Post? He is the king of on-line and believe me he knows that paper and ink are not the delivery system of the future.

And guess what, certain mainstream networks and even cable news networks are not the only choices anymore... No one has a lock on communications media, and as a party, if a network is going to be blatantly biased, there is no obligation or need to acquiesce to the assumption that they have a "right" to participate in the Party's responsibility to conduct its primary debates. There are plenty of choices.

Townhall.com got this right... see the article below about RNC Chairman Reince Priebus and his stand against media bias. I was proud to vote unanimously with my colleagues to "inform" those media outlets who are blatantly using their networks to promote other candidates that they can do so without including our candidates' debates in their schedule of programming...

August
19, 2013

Priebus
Hits a Home Run

Bruce Bialosky

Finally
the Republicans have someone in charge that is not afraid of his own shadow.
Republicans are always cowering to the mainstream press while they mutter about
the corrosiveness of it. If he keeps it up, the Republicans might actually win
the U.S. Senate in 2014 and the Presidency in 2016. We are referring, of
course, to Reince Priebus, Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC).

You
probably have heard that two television operations announced they were doing
projects about Hillary Clinton. NBC has plans to produce and air a four hour
mini-series about Hillary Clinton and CNN has plans for a documentary. Diane
Lane has been attached to the NBC mini-series to play Ms. Clinton which speaks
to the evenhandedness of that program. That is equivalent to a film about my
life story with Brad Pitt in the starring role.

In
a previous world, we would not even be having this discussion. These projects
would never ever have been brought forward because even my dogs know Hillary
Clinton is running for president in 2016, and the appearance of a potential
conflict of interest would be killed by the news divisions. But that does not
happen any longer. When CBS’s Les Moonves, head of TV’s most successful
network, stated while attending a Barack Obama fundraiser that “ultimately
journalism has changed… partisanship is very much a part of journalism now,”
why would anyone believe that NBC and CNN would be even-handed?

They
have defended their respective decisions by stating that the entertainment
departments were planning these programs. NBC can at least attempt this ploy
since they have an entertainment division (their ratings for the past decade
notwithstanding). CNN, which last time anyone checked, is solely a news
network. Their argument is that CNN Films, a division of CNN Worldwide, is
doing the film. One wonders if CNN Sports is next.

Fortunately
Mr. Priebus saw through this charade and finally drew a line that should have
been drawn years ago. Priebus must have been watching in 1992 when Carole
Simpson of ABC News hosted a debate that was so slanted against President
George H.W. Bush you would have thought she was on the Clinton payroll. He
certainly was watching as Candy Crowley of CNN injected herself in the debate
between President Obama and Mitt Romney with an absolutely wrong answer
regarding what Obama said September 12, 2012, about Benghazi and terrorism,
thus ending Romney’s attempt to unsettle Obama on a critical issue.

Priebus
came out and stated the obvious; that if these two operations went forth with
their Hillary projects the Republicans would not play ball with them during the
2016 election cycle. That means the Republican primary debates would be held on
networks other than NBC, MSNBC or CNN. One has to wonder why Republicans would
have debates on these networks in the first place -- as if they would be fair
and even-handed. Envision Lawrence O’Donnell asking Marco Rubio why his
policies encourage the starvation of young children.

When
Priebus appeared on Fox News’ Special Report, he misspoke when being
interviewed by Bret Baier by stating the RNC would want to approve the
moderators for debates. Baier jumped on that, but Priebus is not far off. Maybe
the RNC should not approve moderators, but they certainly should be able to
veto moderators who they have every reason to believe would be less than fair
in critical moments of debates.

Priebus
appears to be on firm ground. Chuck Todd of NBC News came out and said that the
proposed mini-series would be a nightmare for the news division. Andrea
Mitchell followed up criticizing the project. It is nice to see that the
network of Huntley, Brinkley, Chancellor and Brokaw still has a modicum of
integrity. Unfortunately voices have been silent at CNN. How NBC can go forward
with their political reporters in open revolt will be fascinating to watch.

Kudos
to Priebus for coming forth and saying we aren’t going to take it any longer.
This follows on the heels of some other common-sense decisions that sources say
are coming down the pipeline. These decisions include actual full-blown
outreach to minorities, moving the national convention to June and limiting the
endless string of primary debates to a set number that will only protect all
candidates from the supercilious situation that occurred in 2012. Next thing
you know, the RNC will be establishing integrated candidate development from
the grassroots through the national level – actual cooperation for all levels
of the Republican Party.

If
the mainstream media revamps how they operate to recognize the new reality that
was clearly enunciated by CBS President Les Moonves, then Republicans need to
confront that new reality and adjust how they operate. Priebus took the first
step and it was a Crush Davis grand slam.

Sunday, March 31, 2013

Sunday, March 31, 2013

(Note: to those friends of mine who
are not Christian, I hope you have enjoyed your traditions, religious or
otherwise, at this time of year. Though our religious beliefs may differ, our
friendship may endure under the God who made us all. My best wishes to you and
your families during this season of spring and new life.)

In
this season of rebirth and renewal, as buds reappear on the trees after a long winter, and
the blades of grass green, and the plants push through the once frozen soil, we
are reminded of He who was dead and yet now lives, even Jesus Christ. But this
wondrous event of the resurrection was necessarily preceded by the sacrifice of
our Redeemer and as the hymn reflects my own thoughts,

"I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers
me,

Confused at the grace that so fully he
proffers me.

I tremble to know that for me he was
crucified,

that for me, a sinner, he suffered, he bled
and died.

I marvel that he would descend from his throne
divine

To RESCUE a soul so rebellious and proud as
mine,

that he should extend his great love unto such
as I,

Sufficient to own, to redeem, and to
justify.

I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to
pay the debt:

such mercy, such love, and devotion can I
forget?

No, no, I iwll praise and adore at the mercy
seat,

Until at the glorified throne I kneel at his
feet.

Oh, it is wonderful that he should care for me
Enough to die for me!

Oh, it is wonderful, wonderful to
me!"

(Charles H. Gabriel 1856-1932)

Know that the promise of the Atonement, begun in
Gethsemane and culminating on Golgotha, is for us all, if we will but
repent of our transgressions and accept Christ's redeeming power. Christ has felt every pain, every anguish, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.

It is Christ's suffering that satisfies the law of justice that all
sins must be punished, and through his mercy, grace and love, he tempers that
law for each of us. How unloving would we be if we allow Him to have suffered on our behalf, having already paid the price, and we do nothing? All he asks, is that we love Him and love our neighbor, and we do that by obeying His word and abandoning sin. By doing so we show our love for all He has
done for us and we make effective in our lives His Atonement. This is the road
to Eternal Life.

And now on this Easter day we celebrate the gift
given to all mankind by the Savior. The Resurrection; the promise that all will
live again with a body perfected and immortal.

Knowing that Christ lives is my testimony. And more, He has provided a
way back to live with him and our Father in Heaven through His atoning
sacrifice, for which "I Stand All Amazed!"

This hymn summarizes well my testimony:

"I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort
this sweet sentence gives! He lives, he lives, who once was dead. He lives, my
ever living Head. He lives to bless me with his love. he lives to plead for me
above. He lives my hungry soul to feed. He lives to bless in time of
need.

He lives to grant me rich supply. He lives to
guide me with his eye. He lives to comfort me when faint. He lives to hear my
soul's complaint. He lives to silence all my fears. He lives to wipe away my
tears. He lives to calm my troubled heart. he lives all blessings to
impart.

He lives, my kind, wise heavenly Friend. He
lives and loves me to the end. He lives, and while he lives, I'll sing. He
lives, my Prophet, Priest, and King. He lives and grants me daily breath. He
lives, and I shall conquer death. He lives my mansion to prepare. He lives to
bring me safely there

.

He lives! All glory to his name! He lives, my
Savior, still the same. Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: "I know that my
Redeemer lives!" He lives! All glory to his name! He lives, my Savior, still the
same. Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: "I know that my Redeemer
lives!"

(Text: Samuel Medley, 1738-1799;
Music: Lewis D. Edwards, 1858-1921)

May God bless you, your family and friends. And, may we be worthy to receive
His blessings.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Not only did this come unexpectedly but causes us great sadness to not have Borah with us. She was an accomplished and outstanding human being and an outspoken proponent of our constitutional freedoms. It was a wonderful pleasure to be around her and her wonderful attitude and spirit. Our association on the Republican National Committee was our gain... and now our loss. My deepest condolences to Borah's family, may God bless them in this time of loss; may He give solace by the fact that her good life is a witness to His glory. Now she joins Him who is the maker of us all. (see the message sent by the Republican Party of Texas)

Rest In Peace,
Borah Van Dormolen

The Texas
Federation of Republican Women and the Republican Party of Texas, together,
with heavy hearts, have been asked by the family to inform those in Borah’s
Republican family of the tragic passing of our beloved friend, Lt. Col. Borah
Van Dormolen. Borah passed away at 2:00 pm this afternoon as the result
of a serious heart attack she suffered last week. All of us who are
members of the TFRW and are active within the RPT are devastated by the loss
of such a wonderful woman who devoted so much of her life to the betterment
of her country.

After
serving her country in the US Army and achieving the rank of Lt. Colonel,
Borah continued to commit her life to promoting the values of liberty and
freedom when others might have retired quietly. In 2010 she was honored as
the “Distinguished Military Retiree” for Texas for her outstanding
contributions to both active duty and retired service members and their
families. She also held a gubernatorial appointment to the Texas State
Cemetery Commission.

As
of today, Borah was serving her second term as Republican National
Committeewoman from Texas and had recently been elected to represent the Lone
Star State on the Rules Committee of the RNC. She also served as
President of the Texas Federation of Republican Women, and dedicated her many
talents to different board positions within the TFRW for many years.
She also served on the Executive Committee of Maggie’s List, a political
action committee focused on recruiting, training and supporting women running
for congressional office. Borah was not only a servant but also a
mentor for candidates and volunteers and was responsible for hosting
candidate trainings across the state of Texas. Borah has been active in
hundreds of campaigns, organizing and leading volunteers in critical voter
identification and Get Out the Vote efforts. Through all of her volunteer
work, Borah found time to be a loving wife. She and her husband, Rich Castle,
recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary on a cruise through the
Pacific

Republican
leaders and friends across the state and nation today mourn her loss.

From
Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri, “One of the great privileges
of my life is to get to know and work with someone whom I consider to be an
amazing woman, Borah Van Dormolen. Over the past several years I have
had a chance to personally observe her tireless work on behalf of the
Republican Party of Texas but more importantly on behalf of the country she
loved dearly and served so well for so long. It is hard to believe that she
is gone, having just been with her at last weekend’s SREC meeting when she
was her usual, passionate, energetic and inspiring self. What always
impressed me the most about Borah was her kind hearted spirit and how she
always treated other people with dignity and respect. There will never
be another Borah and we will miss her deeply. On behalf of the RPT
family, we extend our heartfelt condolences to her husband, Rich, and to her
family.”

From Texas
Federation of Republican Women President, Carolyn Hodges, “TFRW mourns the
passing of our dear friend and colleague, Borah Van Dormolen. Borah was
an inspiration to me as I began my path as a Republican Woman. Her
leadership in the Texas Federation of Republican Women was bold and
decisive. Her common sense, her sense of humor, intelligence, and
caring for Republicans set her apart from others. She was a dynamic and
enthusiastic leader who was respected and loved across our state and
nation. Borah traveled tirelessly across Texas giving her all.
Everyone who met and heard Borah immediately began to share her enthusiasm
and vision. Let us all carry on as Borah would want us to do and be the
Republicans she would be proud of - focusing on unity.”

At this
time, memorial arrangements are pending. The RPT and TFRW will inform
you of the details as soon as we have them.

Monday, March 4, 2013

It is incredibly disengenuous of the POTUS to be playing the blame game on something that he created... As his former chief of staff was fond of saying, "Never let a crisis go to waste..."; why should you if you can leverage it with the media and the public to marginalize your opposition and ultimately get what you want. Remember, only in Washington D.C. is a "Cut" defined as a reduction in next years "Increase"! That is what we are talking about. What it really does is take everyone's attention away from the really important work of tax reform, entitlement reform, energy costs, a failing foreign policy, and more. The master of deflection and misdirection has done it again... we are talking about "crumbs" when we need to be talking about the pie.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

"These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the
sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his
country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of
man and woman."

Thomas Paine wrote those words when it looked like we might lose the American Revolution. There were many who were simply walking away from the battlefield and the army. It was a difficult time and Paine was challenging those who despaired to reflect on their own character, to ask the question if they were "fair weather" (sunshine) patriots or had the spirit of perseverance regardless of obstacles and set-backs.

We find ourselves needing to ask ourselves the same questions. We still love our country. We still have a duty to defend the constitution and its principles. We still have wonderful leaders who will fight for our cause. We need to carry on.

There is no question that as the election data is collected, sliced, diced, and analyzed, we will find chinks in our armor. We already know that we have work to do to reach out better to women, youth, and minorities. But we need not, nor should not despair. Let's take a moment... a brief moment to lick our wounds of defeat and to rejoice in our victories (yes, we did have some of those too!) and then "let us not shrink from the service of (our) country". Let's welcome the feeling of vitality and energy and face with courage, the challenge before us.

President Obama did not receive a mandate from the electorate. And though we must stand by our principles, we must also do as our nominee encouraged us last night, and pray for our president and our country. I like the old saying that we must "Pray like everything depends on God, and work like everything depends on us".

I am by design an optimistic person but I do not see through "rose colored" glasses either. I do have hope, which overcomes discouragement and I do have faith that we can affect those around us in a positive way. But it does depend on each of us. I hope and pray that we can "stand by it now" and work together to accomplish what is necessary to preserve our country for our children and grandchildren.

This morning my friend Pete Ricketts from Nebraska reminded me of one of my favorite quotes from Winston Churchill,

"Never give in--never, never, never, never, in nothing
great or small, large or petty, never give in except to convictions of honour
and good sense. Never yield to force, never yield to the apparently
overwhelming might of the enemy."

A public journal of my experiences, activities, and commentary as Utah's Republican National Committeeman. (and a sprinkling of family stuff too...)

Bruce R. Hough

What does a National Committeeman Do?

· Represent Utah Republicans as members of the Republican National Committee (RNC)· Manage the national party and Elect its leadership· Plan national conventions· Participate as members of the Utah Republican Party Executive and Central Committees· Assist the state party chairman in fundraising

Experience...

· Experience as former RNC Member when State Party Chairman (1991-1995) Current National Committeeman (2008 -2016)· Effective fundraiser, raising record amounts as party chairman and ten's of thousands of dollars for the State Party and the Romney Campaign; long-time member of the party’s major donor organization· Active grassroots party participant for more than 25 years as a member of the state central committee, precinct chairman, County Officer, and county, state and national delegate· Successful leadership and management experience in politics, business, religious, civic, and charity

Why I Serve...

· To recruit men and women of character, with common beliefs and principles to serve in elected office· To raise funds and develop resources to successfully assist those willing to enter the arena of public service· To provide management and leadership experience to the state and national party· To inject a strong dose of conservative thought to the national party· To persuade others to follow the principles of:

Individual Responsibility; caring for ourselves and family, for the helpless, the weak and the unborn

Proper Role of Government; protecting our rights, not usurping them

Fiscal Conservatism; keeping the size and scope of government in line with its constitutional role

“Unalienable Rights” and “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness” are not simple platitudes; they are the words that led men to establish this nation and to write an inspired constitution that remains the most important governance document in the world today.